Evolution System
Evolving a unit in Anime Expeditions is not a single universal recipe. Selecting a unit that has an evolution available shows exactly which materials are missing, and most recipes combine several colors of elemental Sprite (Red, Blue, Green, Purple, Yellow, Pink, Grey, and the rare Rainbow Sprite) with a Gold cost and one extra item unique to that unit. Sprites themselves come from converting spare units and rarity fodder, so building up a Sprite stockpile is an ongoing side effect of regular gacha pulls rather than a separate grind.
The unique item requirement is where Unit Trials come in. The 13 units with a confirmed evolution today, Crimson, 8th Sword, Cursed Student, Elf Mage, Flame Emperor, Hollow, Lady Giant, Puppet, Reaper, Salmon Sorcerer, Shadow, String Demon, and True Saint, each gate their evolution item behind a Unit Trial: a solo instance where the player is handed a fixed team built specifically around that unit and equipment, then thrown against a boss with tuned elemental resistances designed to test whether the player understands that unit's kit. Clearing the trial awards the missing evolution item outright, turning Elf Mage into Elf Mage (Unleashed), True Saint into True Saint (Holy), Shadow into Shadow (Divine), and so on for every other confirmed evolution pair.
Evolving is worth more than a stat bump. Every confirmed evolution unlocks additional stat tiers beyond the base form's cap, letting the evolved unit climb higher than the original ever could, and several also grant brand-new passive abilities that the base form never had access to, meaning an evolved unit can functionally play differently in a team rather than simply hitting harder.
Details
How Unit Trials work
A Unit Trial locks the player into a preset team built by the game's own designers around the unit being evolved, complete with matching equipment and passive values, so success depends on the boss fight design rather than the player's own roster strength. Each trial boss carries a specific elemental resistance or weakness, meaning the trial is effectively a scripted check that the player reads the unit's abilities correctly before being handed its evolved form's item.
Sprite economy
Sprites are converted from spare copies and fodder in a handful of colors, Red, Blue, Green, Purple, Yellow, and Pink, plus the plain Grey Sprite and the scarce Rainbow Sprite, which means a player pulling regularly on any banner is passively building the Sprite stockpile needed for evolutions without a dedicated farming loop. Rainbow Sprites, needed in the smallest quantities but for nearly every recipe, are the most commonly gated resource and tend to decide which evolution gets prioritized first.
Evolution recipes in practice
Elf Mage's evolution into Elf Mage (Unleashed) is a documented example of the full recipe: 1 duplicate Elf Mage, a unique Cosmic Magic item, 20 Blue Sprites, 20 Purple Sprites, 1 Rainbow Sprite, and 5,000 Gold, unlocking 2 additional tiers and a new Overcharge passive. True Saint's evolution into True Saint (Holy) instead spreads its Sprite cost across all six colors at 5 each plus a Rainbow Sprite and 5,000 Gold, unlocking 3 additional tiers with no new passive, gains coming purely from extra tiers and higher stats per tier. The other 11 confirmed evolutions, covering Crimson, 8th Sword, Cursed Student, Flame Emperor, Hollow, Lady Giant, Puppet, Reaper, Salmon Sorcerer, Shadow, and String Demon, each carry their own specific mix of Sprite colors, Gold, and a unique unlock item behind their respective Unit Trial.
Deciding what to evolve first
Because Sprite materials cap out in inventory and every evolution competes for the same colored-Sprite pool, the practical approach is to evolve a confirmed main damage carry first rather than spreading materials thin across the roster. A unit already being placed every stage benefits immediately from its evolution's added tiers and any new passive, while evolving a bench unit before the active team ties up materials with no immediate return.
FAQ
How do I evolve a unit in Anime Expeditions?
Select the unit in your roster; if it has an evolution available, the game shows exactly which Sprites, Gold, and unique items are still missing. Once every requirement is met, the evolution can be completed instantly.
What is a Unit Trial?
A Unit Trial is a solo instance that hands the player a fixed team built around one specific unit and pits it against a boss with tuned elemental resistances. Clearing it awards the unique evolution item for that unit, and every one of the 13 confirmed evolutions currently requires one.
Do all evolutions require a Unit Trial?
Every evolution confirmed in current client data requires clearing that unit's Unit Trial to obtain its unique evolution item, alongside the standard Sprite and Gold costs.
Where do evolution Sprites come from?
Sprites are produced by converting spare units and fodder, so regular gacha pulling naturally builds up a Sprite stockpile over time without a dedicated farming loop.
Which units can currently evolve in Anime Expeditions?
Crimson, 8th Sword, Cursed Student, Elf Mage, Flame Emperor, Hollow, Lady Giant, Puppet, Reaper, Salmon Sorcerer, Shadow, String Demon, and True Saint each have a confirmed evolved form today.
What does evolving a unit actually improve?
Every confirmed evolution adds extra stat tiers beyond the base form's cap, and several also add a brand-new passive ability, so an evolved unit can both hit harder and play differently from its base form.
Does evolving a unit change its rolled Trait or Stat Potential?
No. Evolution only affects a unit's tier cap and passives. Its Trait and Stat Potential grade carry over unchanged, so a poorly rolled unit stays poorly rolled after evolving unless it is separately rerolled.
Other systems
Source-checked
Extracted from Anime Expeditions client data (evolutions.json, unit-trials.json, ascensions.json). Earlier drafts of this page referenced character names that do not correspond to any released unit in current client data; this version lists only the 13 evolution pairs confirmed against actual unit entries. updated · GuideDex staff. Report a correction.